A German archdiocese has distanced itself from the controversial performance Westphalia Side Story carried out in the Cathedral of Paderborn and specified CNA Deutsch – Ewtn News German Agency, a company to which ACI Press belongs – that had no previous knowledge of the specific content of the representation.
The Archdiocese of Paderborn (Germany) regretted that the staging would have “wounded religious feelings” and since then has begun internal reviews.
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The controversial performance of the Bodytalk set on May 15 unleashed a wave of indignation and gave rise to A petition with more than 21,000 signatures. Under the motto “Against the desecration of the Paderborn Cathedral: for the protection of our sacred places”, the faithful demand a clear response of the Church.
The event was attended by the president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the minister of the northern-westphaly Rhine CNA German.
The performance was part of the official celebrations of the 1250th anniversary of Westfalia. He presented a half -naked woman and a man with scythe in his hands, followed by another without a shirt who entered with a bowl full of collapsed chickens and wrapped in diapers.
The three made, with their hands, the dead animals “walk” through the altar area while singing “Fleisch isth Fleisch” (“The meat is meat”) with the melody of the Pop song of 1984 “”Live is Life”, Of the Opus Austrian band.
The official Archdiocesan statement also indicates that the cathedral “has frequently been the scene of high -level cultural events in the past.”
On the controversial presentation, the archdiocese states that “the specific content and design of this program segment were not known in advance by those responsible, or the organization or the place of celebration.”
“We take the reactions to the presentation very seriously and we have already begun to review our internal procedures,” he adds.
At the same time, the statement expresses “an explicit regret for the fact that the performance wounded religious feelings.”
The archdiocese also emphasizes that this effect “was never intentionally intentionally” and that “does not reflect our expectations for this place with its special religious, historical and cultural meaning.”
The request of the German faithful, housed in the Citizengo platformis aimed at the Archbishop of Paderborn, Mons. Udo Bentz. The signatories demand not only a public apology, but also an act of penance and repair, in addition to the new consecration of the Paderborn Cathedral, desecrated by this action.
The firms collected will be delivered not only to the archbishop but also the Apostolic Nuncio in Germany, the Nikola Eterovic archbishop.
The petition notes that “Catholic churches are sacred spaces, built for cult and oriented to the veneration of God. The use of our churches should always point out the presence of God and lead to worship.”
Translated and adapted by the ACI Press team. Originally published in CNA German
Alexander Folz
Alexander Folz works as a freelance for CNA Deutsch. He grew up in Sarre in the early 2000s and studies economy at the Leibniz University of Hanover. Alexander Folz is interested in Catholic social doctrine, the link between Catholicism and economy. In the private sphere he participates in a Catholic youth movement and in a provident campaign.